How Does the Falcons Front Seven Stack Up Against The Packers O-line?
The Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers are trending in different directions. The Packers, at 3-0, are playing like one of the best teams in the NFL. The Falcons, on the other hand, are 0-3 and coming off two straight games in which they blew double-digit leads.
Atlanta needs a win in the worst way possible, but to do so they will need to contain Aaron Rodgers, who has been on an absolute tear to start the season. The key to slowing Rodgers down is to put pressure on him, but the Packers offensive line has played well so far this season.
Through three games, Rodgers has thrown for 864 yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. He has faced pressure on 12.6 percent of dropbacks and has only been pressured 14 times this season.
More impressive, though, is the fact that Rodgers has only been sacked twice and forced to scramble three times all season. He is also averaging two and a half seconds in the pocket per pass attempt.
Green Bay's offensive line has opened plenty of holes for the running game as well. Running back Aaron Jones is averaging two and a half yards on the ground before contact, and the Packers rushing attack is averaging 171 yards per game and a smooth five and a half yards per carry.
The Falcons made several additions during the offseason to improve a defensive front that struggled last season. So far in 2020, the new additions have been a mixed bag, but free-agent signing Dante Fowler has performed admirably, with one sack and eight QB pressures. As a whole, the Falcons defense has six sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and 16 quarterback knockdowns.
Atlanta is giving up 113 yards per game on the ground this season. Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones have continued their strong work in the trenches, but another bright spot has been rookie linebacker Mykal Walker, who's totaled 17 tackles through three games. He has been used to blitz on 17 plays as well, so that is something to look out for in this week's matchup.
Billy Turner, David Bakhtiari, Corey Linsley, Elgton Jenkins and Lucas Patrick have combined to make one of the best units in the league so far this season. When assessing this trenches battle, the Packers have the advantage, so the Falcons will need to operate with little margin for error to move to 1-3 on Monday night.
